Familiarity
by Moon's-Wing
Summary: Modern day AU. Levi brings home a new friend, a friend he's obviously interested in, but for what purpose? And will Eren catch onto it before Levi has a chance to tell him?
"I'm home!" Levi called into the house, pushing one of many plants that hung from the ceiling aside so a path could be made through for himself and the visitor. "I brought a… person from school with me."

A thin woman with plump cheeks and the same dark hair as Levi came into the room, chuckling. "And does this person have a name?" she asked.

The brunet held out his hand. "Eren Jeager, pleased to meet you, 'Mam."

"Such good manners!" she smiled, taking the boy's hand. "I can only hope they'll rub off on Levi."

"Thanks, Mom," her son drawled. "He's just curious about the house; everyone talks about it." It was kind of an oddity. They didn't live outside the town, exactly, but just far enough and were apparently just eccentric enough that people talked. But no matter how they lived, Levi had long learned, people would talk.

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding," the other male said awkwardly. "It just looks so cool from the outside, and Levi always smells great, so I-"

"It's fine, Sweetie! Go ahead and have Levi show you around! I bet that's the rosemary in the hall window by his room you smell; it is a good scent, isn't it?"

Laughing, the green-eyed teen nodded. "It suits him," he added.

"Well, go on, show your new friend around," she encouraged, shooing them forward. Levi rolled his eyes and beckoned the visitor forward. "I assume you know what a living room is, kitchen through that door, bathroom's down the hall, bedrooms upstairs…"

"What about through here?" Eren asked at a glass door. "Looks like a garden in there. Do you guys really have your own greenhouse?"

"Hanji, my grandmother, does. I'm sure you've heard plenty of rumors about her at this point, but she makes a living making herbal remedies. The whole house is pretty much her garden, though," the raven head added with a tap to one of the many ceiling plants.

"Is that her? What's she doing?" he asked of the woman leaning over her worktable.

"Looks like crushing herbs to me," Levi replied in a humored tone.

"Well, obviously, but… Is that something a lot of people do? I don't think I've ever seen those tools she's using."

The raven head took his new friend by the wrist and lead him in the room. "Hanji," he spoke. "This is Eren; he followed me home, and he's curious about what you're doing."

"Is that so?" she asked with a smile Eren found creepily bright.

"Don't get ideas; he's just curious."

"Fine, fine. I'd be happy to show you more, Eren."

"Thanks," he replied.

Levi took the few steps back to the doorway, sighing heavily when he saw his mother already there. She'd totally been following them. "Yes?"

"Looks like you found someone," she smiled.

"Some kid that wouldn't leave me alone."

"But he followed you home."

"We kind of stick out. Just because he's interested doesn't mean he's interested."

"Yeah, yeah; I see how you're looking at him," the woman persisted.

"I'm a friend to him, Mom."

"Has he told you that?"

"He doesn't have to."

Her son turned away to go down the hall then, so he didn't see the emerald green eyes that had turned to the direction of the words- but both the women had. "Well, who knew I had such a rude son, leaving you here on your own, Eren," Mrs. Ackerman said brightly. "I hope you don't mind us old biddies."

"No-no! Not at all!" the teen stammered. "I just… hope I didn't make him mad."

"He's a moody little thing. Don't let it bother you."

But it did. Hanji knew a lot about herbs, Hanji knew a lot about everything- Mrs. Ackerman did too. But that nagging feeling stayed in the back of his mind, that his friend was upset and he didn't know why.

Then the biggest cat he'd ever seen calmly entered into the room.

It walked half as tall as himself, covered in short blond fur that had patches of black stripes, and neither woman seemed perturbed by the entrance of the animal, just the opposite. The giant furry head of the creature laid in Hanji's lap; she cooed and pet it like she were coddling a newborn kitten. "Oh, sorry, Eren," she laughed at the brunet's look of fright. "This is Erwin; he's my familiar. Sweet as pie, I assure you."

"Familiar? Like, um, ah…"

"I'm a witch, Sweetie. Erwin is my familiar. I'm not casting curses and hexes about the town, and I have never cackled. I do what I can to help people; there are times medical science does wonders; other times, a natural remedy can either be a best solution or a good addition to modern treatment. Erwin helps me."

Eren wasn't sure what to do with that. He'd heard of people that believed as Hanji spoke, he just didn't think he'd ever meet someone who did. It made sense- a lot more sense than the chaos that reined almost constantly at his own house. "Can I, um, touch him?"

"Certainly."

Still cautious, not wanting to startle the great beast, he slowly held out his hand. Erwin gave it a sniff, then nuzzled his large head underneath it. "Whoa."

The women chuckled. "You'll get used to him, that is, if we haven't scared you off. I'm sure Levi will be just as amazing someday."

The teen snapped back to attention. "Levi? Levi's a person."

"He is, but Levi's also an un-bonded familiar. Erwin has a human form too, but he's usually like this. They seem to prefer it, once they've found their witch."

This was getting a little weird. "Where… did Levi go?"

"Probably to mope in his room. Upstairs, second door on the left."

"Thanks," he smiled, and briskly made his way up the stairs, and through the copious plants hanging from the ceiling. Levi's door was open.

"Found out my dirty little secret, then," came the sigh from inside. "The most prominent, anyway. I should've known those two would be too open."

Eren stood by the doorway. "I'm sorry if you didn't want me to know. I, um, I did hear you and your mom talking by the door, I just, um-"

"Do yourself a favor, Eren- don't worry about that."

"I'm still gonna."

Levi scoffed. "You can come in, you know. Knowing you, I'm sure you have at least three billion questions at the tip of your tongue."

"Yeah," the other agreed, coming in to sit beside his friend on the mattress. "But someone told me once I can be really intrusive."

"I'm giving you permission to ask, Eren."

"Oh. I guess so." Still, he was silent a moment before looking back up to ask, "So, you can turn into a giant animal too?"

"I'm… kind of dormant, I guess. I won't be able to do whatever it is I can do until I bond with a witch."

"How do you do that?"

Levi shrugged. "It's different for everyone. Sometimes a handshake, others a kiss-"

"A kiss?!"

A small, amused smile appeared on the raven head's lips. "Does that seem odd to you? That a witch and familiar would become so close?"

"N-Not odd, I guess, just… I didn't expect it. Nothing wrong with it."

"It's what usually happens, actually. Witch and familiar spend the majority of their time together. Worked for my parents."

"Yeah?"

"Mm. Familiars will almost always give birth to familiars, so here I am."

"But if your… abilities are dormant, like you said, how do you know you're a familiar?"

"My mother's other form is a cat, same as Erwin, presumably for myself as well. When I was a baby… my ears were feline. There might have been a tail."

Eren's jaw was slack. "You had little kitty ears when you were a baby? Please tell me your mom took pictures."

"I suppose she did, but-"

But Eren was already gone. "Mrs. Ackerman! Mrs. Ackerman! Mrs. Ackerman!" he was calling, giving Levi a new appreciation for that tongue- that last name three times in a row while running downstairs couldn't be an easy feat.

"My goodness, Eren, what is it?" he heard the woman asking- Levi had followed at a slower pace.

"Did Levi really have kitty ears and a tail when he was a baby?!"

"Oh, Eren; do I have some pictures to show you. Step into my office," she grinned, and lead them back up to her room. She pulled a photo album from one of the bookcases and invited them to sit next to her on the neatly-made mattress. Eren promptly did, but her son heaved a heavy sigh and stood next to his friend, looking over him. "This was a couple days after he was born, just as his eyes were starting to open," she began at the first photo; a roly-poly Levi with cat ears the size of his head and chewing on his thin, furry tail.

"I don't know if I can handle this much cute," Eren stated seriously. "How long did they stay that way?"

"Until he was a toddler," the woman replied, flipping the pages of pictures showing her son gradually growing up. "I kind of… breaks off, I suppose, the ears grow back to human ones… Then when we meet up a witch who's either practicing or has potential, and we synch up well with, they start to come back."

"Whether we want them to or not," Levi sighed.

"So… the ears and tail just magically come back when you find this person?" Eren asked.

"They don't just pop out from nothing, no. As Mom said, if I'm around a possible match for me excessively, the familiar instincts in me recognize it, and start… manifesting. If not yet bonded, and that presence goes away, they retreat again. If we do bond, then, well, it gets a little more complicated."

"Do you have to stay with that person all the time?"

"No. But excessive time apart can be… It's not great. And un-bonding… Well, just be sure you want the familiar you're asking for before asking."

"I, um, promise, but are you saying… I could be…?"

"A witch? Of course, and a clever one at that. You have good instincts, and you seemed to be enjoying your time with Hanji. It's not required, either; as with many things, just because you have a talent for it doesn't mean it's what you have to do with yourself."

"I guess so. But it looks really interesting, you know?"

"There's not saying you can't keep learning more until you make up your mind," Mrs. Ackerman smiled. "But for now, I haven't even shown you how adorable Levi was when he was a toddler! Here, look!"

* * *

Eren came over a lot after that, almost every day and even on the weekends, sometimes to sleepover. The inhabitants joked that his parents must miss him- Did they remember what he looked like?- but Eren himself didn't seem very concerned with it. Which concerned aforementioned inhabitants, but no one pushed for information.

The heat went out one night he was staying over; the wind had been strong a few days, autumn well on its way, and a line had been knocked down. Eren didn't mind, always had thought the house on the warm side, but it made a big difference to the resident familiars. All three were bundled up in sweaters and warm pants and begging Hanji to 'do something.'

The woman insisted there was nothing she could do; they'd have to wait like the rest of the neighborhood- which lead to Eren watching Levi shiver, even under four blankets, from his own sleeping bag on the floor. "Are… you okay?" he dared.

"Fucking perfect," was the returned snarl.

"Um, if this is weird, I'm sorry, but I've always had a pretty high body temp-"

"Get it over here."

The brunet snickered, then rose to lie under the covers with his friend. Levi immediately latched unto him, and Eren was surprised the find the shorter body actually was chilly.

"S-sorry," the raven head grumbled. "We're just… supposed to be able to survive higher temperatures, so we're kind of wusses in the cold."

"Familiars are a tropical breed?" the other joked.

"…Sort of. Thank you."

"It's nice up here. More comphy than my sleeping bag."

"You're… welcome to keep coming over here."

Eren smiled. "Thanks. I think I will."

It was two more days before the heat was back on, but there wasn't a peep of protest from either party when he slid in beside the raven head the night after anyway.

* * *

"Levi?" came Eren's voice the next morning, and the raven head spun around to see his friend in the bathroom door way he himself had stupidly left open. He didn't usually eat breakfast that quickly. Crap.

"Having a bad hair day?" his friend asked. The raven strands were always nearly completely pulled into a bandana at this point, and with good reason. Levi watched his friend's head work. "Or… It kind of looks like…"

"Ears," he finally sighed in defeat, pushing past the brunet to return to his room. He was followed. "You have the makings to be an extraordinary witch. We're always around each other and as I said before, I kind of have instincts that recognize that."

"Does… that mean we're supposed to…?"

"Not as long as we're both uncertain. This is just those instincts being a pain in my ass."

""So… you don't want to…?"

"It would be a privilege to be your familiar. But the situation could be… awkward."

Eren's face scrunched in confusion. "How?"

Now wasn't the time to beat around the bush. "I'm… I think of you as much more than a friend, Eren. And a relationship with anyone doesn't seem to be a priority for you, let alone a high one. And that's fine, but if we bonded, from what I understand, it would become a lot more difficult for me to give you space."

The brunet chewed on his lower lip, still in the doorway. "It's not something I think about, no… I really like you, Levi, I think I might love you too, or as close as I seem to be able… Being around you wouldn't be a problem, it would be… um, with you, if you get what I mean."

So Eren's sexuality was up in the air. That was okay. "Even if this is agreed to, sex doesn't have to be a part of it."

"Even… the relationship part?"

"Yes. If that's not something you want, I can take care of myself in that aspect, or maybe some arrangement can be reached later. We don't have to worry about that now."

"You'd… really be okay with that?"

"I would."

A bright smile broke out on the other's face even as the happy sob escaped his throat. Gray eyes widened, he hadn't realized how much other was holding back, easing the other young man to sit beside him on the mattress. "I… This is so amazing. I never dared to think you'd be okay with this. I mean, you're really sure you wanna be stuck with me for the rest of your life?"

Somebody hadn't gone over life spans yet. "As I told you, the privilege would be mine. And as I told you, I am literally born for this. I know when I've found a match." He paused a moment before asking, terrified of the answer but it needed to be asked, "Are you sure you want me? I'm told I'm a handful."

"You are, but in a good way. I'd feel a lot better about all of this if I had you helping me."

Levi buckled over with a gasp, curling into himself.

"Levi! Are you okay?" Eren panicked, holding the other steady beside him. "What's happening to you?"

That raven head tilted up, breathing heavily as he smiled, "Becoming yours."

"I-It hurts?! It shouldn't hurt!" the other protested, not knowing what else to do.

"Not… hurt, exactly. More like when you've been feeling sick, then you finally throw up and you start to feel better? You know that feeling."

"Y-Yeah. I-I feel really warm. Is that my end of it?" The other gave a nod, and as he calmed Eren did too, happy to have the other's body against his own. "So, um, all that stuff you were saying before, that, um-"

Levi reached up to put a finger over his lips. "You're the center of my universe now, but if I was being honest, I've had that view awhile now."

"Aw, you're gonna be all gross and clingy now, huh?" Eren laughed brushing the bangs from the other's sweaty forehead.

"I'll still be me, but there will be an elevated interest in your well-being. Some think it's too clingy… It's the biggest reason un-bondings happen, so please tell me if I'm becoming too much and I'll try my best to back off."

"Okay," Eren smiled. "I can't really see that happening, but I will. You're still coming to school with me and stuff, right?"

"I don't need to, really. I have my witch and I'm smarter than most of the teachers, let alone students. But… I could probably hide in your backpack or something if you really want. Actually, your sweatshirt with the front pocket would be perfect."

Eren cocked his head. "How do you figure? You'll never fit in-" He stopped, seeing the other encased in a dark light, and the form within it grew smaller. The clothes the raven head had been wearing fell into a pile around him, and when the light dimmed, a fluffy black kitten made his way out of the pile to sit on Eren's lap. "Oh, shit," he grinned. "I cannot handle this level of cute, Levi, seriously."

"Hey boys, are you-?" Mrs. Ackerman halted in the doorway taking in the scene before her.

And let out the highest-pitched squeal mankind had ever heard.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll call you both in sick. Hanji!" she yelled happily, running down the stairs. "Guess what?! Guess what?!"

The ball of fur that was now Levi curled up on Eren's thigh. "Aw, don't be like that," he smiled, feeling the other's embarrassment in the back of his throat. Was that a thing now? "She's just happy for us," was the add, daring to softly pet his spine.

Levi started to purr.

* * *

Eren wasn't sure how long they stayed there, his partner enjoying his own warmth and he enjoying the other's contentment, but it was long enough that his bladder started to demand his attention. Gently as he could, he scooped the kitten up and put him on the bed. "Back in a sec," he said when those round, dark eyes looked up at him. "Just gotta pee."

Levi yawned. He stood and stretched, and as he did, began to darkly glow again, and returned to the form he had more experience with. "Anyone who's known my mother and grandmother longer than five minutes knows you'll take more time than that, as you'll have to pass them to get to the bathroom."

"Aw, so I can't even pee alone now?" the other snickered, looking away while his friend put on his clothes. Even if he knew Levi wouldn't care, the brunet himself kind of did, wanting to show the same courtesy he was being shown.

"I'm not going to follow you in," the shorter male sighed. "You woke me up and now I have to go too, so I figured I may as well go with you. Sitting around as a defenseless fucking kitten isn't the greatest idea anyway. You seemed to like it, though," he added with a snicker of his own.

"You were a little ball of fluff! How do I not love that?! I was wondering about that- I mean, nothing against it at all, but why are you a kitten and Erwin's like this giant-?"

"The form I take is a reflection of our relationship," Levi told him, done getting dressed and both heading out of the room for the stairs. "At this point, it's just starting, so, kitten. Hanji and Erwin have been through a lot together."

"Oh. Gotcha."

Any further conversation was cut off by Mrs. Ackerman hugging them both tightly as they entered her field of vision at the bottom of the stairs, happy little squeals still leaving her. "Mom, stop," her son sighed.

"Never," she giggled," and gave each other their cheeks a kiss.

"Mom."

"Oh, fine," the woman finally said, releasing Eren but giving the other one more hug. "You can't just let an old lady be happy, can you?"

"We both kind of really have to go to the bathroom,," he retorted, seeing his friend continuing in the direction of the room. Sneaky bitch.

Erwin was more generous with his congratulations, asking Levi to speak to him when he had some time later- alone.

"As close to alone as you can get in this house," had been the return drawl, but lead the blond upstairs.

"All right, let's see where you are," Erwin stated when they got to the other's room. "Turn."

Levi sighed, but let his transformation take place.

"Aw, look at you," the older man cooed, picking the kitten up and dodging a swipe to his own face. "I can't remember the last time I was this small."

Levi hissed.

"That is too cute."

Eren appeared in the doorway, apprehension clearing when he saw the scene. "Okay, that explains it."

"Been feeling Levi's emotions?" Erwin inquired.

"Only when he's like that. And I wasn't sure if that was normal pissy or 'Imma cut you' pissy. It was pretty close."

"I imagine I'm irritating him quite a bit at the moment," the larger man replied, and set the kitten down- said kitten promptly trotted over to Eren, who picked him up and he started purring. "Levi's more attached to you than I realized."

"He said he loves me. I… think I do him, I'm just not sure if it's the same way."

"If nothing else, you are good for each other, or that bond would have never taken place."

A smile settled on the other's lips. "That's definitely good to know. I don't want to disappoint him."

"Oh, Eren; listen to that purr. You couldn't disappoint him if you were trying to."

The brunet laughed. "Thanks."

* * *

Eren was starting to feel really good about the whole thing. Levi was clearly more attached to him, and not because he spent most of the rest of his time there as little baby cat that was eagerly held and coddled by his friend.

When the brunet tried to leave and return home for the night for once as his mother had requested of him, that kitten was still at his heels, insisting on coming with him. "Um, Levi, my mom won't like a cat in the house- she's allergic. And thinks I wasn't feeling good this morning. She's gonna wonder where you came from, too."

The other's response was to use his pointy little kitten claws to climb up his witch's jeans and into his sweatshirt pocket.

"Mrs. Ackerman!"

"He's your problem now, Sweetie!"

Eren sighed, looking into the pocket. "My mom's allergic," he muttered again, but Levi heard how half-hearted it was. There was a reason his friend didn't want him to come, but it had nothing to do with allergies. He didn't like that the brunet was lying to him, but knowing Eren, he was probably doing it because he thought he was protecting Levi, so he tried not to let himself get mad. He was, however, worried and did very much feel obligated to stay with him, and knew it was felt as the add came, "Will you at least stay in my room?"

Contentment. Good. Yes.

"Wanna say good night to your mom?"

Levi meowed.

"See you both tomorrow!" the woman called.

Green eyes rolled and he left for his parent's house.

Eren's house was only a twenty-minute walk from his own, and his witch had a hand in his pocket the entire time petting his familiar. But it was a nervous hand. Levi realized Eren had never mentioned his home life, never even tired inviting Levi over- they were always at his own house. The raven head had been assuming that was because of Eren's curiosity, then training, but what if there was something else to it?

Levi purred now, trying to calm both himself and his partner, and felt a soft chuckle. Good. The brunet's nerves were still high, but he appreciated the comfort. "I'm going in the house," he said now. "Please don't say anything, okay?"

The soft purring stopped. Not just because of the request, but Levi had never felt so much condensed negativity in his life. The school had more than it's fair share, but fortunate or not, that was expected- someone's home shouldn't feel like an old battleground.

"Thanks."

A door opened then closed, and a tired but cheery female voice welcomed, "Eren! So glad you'll be joining us tonight. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. Think Levi and I just picked something up at school. We took it easy and Mrs. Ackerman made sure we ate something."

"Well, good. I'd like to meet her sometime; she sounds very nice."

"She is; I bet you'd like her. Dinner smells great; I'm just gonna bring my stuff upstairs, okay?"

"Okay. Your father will be home soon."

"Yeah."

The woman hadn't coughed or sneezed once- his proximity to her didn't seem to affect her in the slightest. Levi realized he was right; there was something else going on. All the more reason he was glad he'd come, but before he could worry about that, there was another matter that needed attending to.

"What's wrong?" Eren asked in his room, seeing the other pacing and feeling his distress.

Levi spotted the closet, and went over to do his best to pull out a sweater that had fallen to the floor.

"You think it's too cold in here?"

Levi sat down beside the sweater. It was too heavy to pull over.

"It's fine here- your house is just always super warm."

Levi hissed.

"Think what you like. I'm fine," Eren retorted again, and dumped his backpack on the bed before pulling the sweatshirt off- but his partner was still irritated.

He could feel it.

"You could've mentioned I'd be feeling your emotions like they were mine," he grumbled, and took the backpack off the bed to set it neatly by the desk. "Better?"

The kitten ran to jump up on the bed, nearly missed, but clung to edge to hoist himself the rest of the way up and curled up on a blanket-covered pillow.

"Good. Please stay here while I'm downstairs. I usually bring up a snack for later anyway, and there's a couple in the desk, so you'll be okay."

Contentment maintained. Good.

Eren went downstairs.

Levi lifted his head. His feline ears could hear everything going on in the house, so he'd know if anyone came upstairs, and they were all eating now… Why not have a look around?

Downstairs, Eren could feel his curiosity. _'No, please don't,'_ he silently begged, smiling as he father handed him the mashed potatoes.

Back upstairs, Levi was happy to note his witch hadn't fully closed the door behind him. The house was nice, he noted with pleasure as he crept along the wall, a little saddened he hadn't been by until now, but with the next comment Eren's father made, he finally understood why. "I feel for Chuck at work. His boy told him last night he's fucking gay."

"How does Chuck feel about that?" his wife ventured to ask.

"Poor guy doesn't know what to do," the man sighed. "You'd never do that to your old man, right, Eren?"

Levi closed his eyes, small head hanging, as his friend's nervous laughter was heard. This was it. This was everything. Why Eren had never invited himself over, and probably why there was so much hesitation in him. "From, um, what I've heard about it, Dad, it's not really a choice, just part of who you are."

Even upstairs, Levi could taste the effect his words had. "You're starting to sound like those idiots on TV. I'm taking the set from your room for awhile." There was the sound of the man standing, and Levi flew back into Eren's bedroom, right under the bed.

The green-eyed male was following his father upstairs, protesting that this didn't need to be done now, finish eating first- the other was sure his son was hoping he'd forget about it and be able to keep his TV.

Relief all Eren's own swept in as he looked over the room, and bit back a scoff at himself. Of course Levi would hear them coming and hide. "Why don't you start your homework?" his father stated in a hard tone, and left with the set.

Eren didn't care enough to remind him that he hadn't eaten, and really didn't think it would matter to the other anyway. There was a reason there were snacks and sodas in the desk.

He closed the door. "It's okay, Levi; I doubt I'll see anyone else tonight." Downstairs, his sister, still a baby, was crying, his father yelling at his mother. Apparently she'd coddled him too much when he was the same age, so his son's commentary was her fault.

There was a soft glow on the other side of the bed, his friend's concerned dark eyes looking over it at him. "You know there's at least five different places you can report him to."

"I have to wait till I'm eighteen. Then I can adopt Mikasa. I don't want her in the foster system if I can help it. Or me. I'd… have to leave."

"What about your mother?"

"She won't forgive me if I report Dad. I don't want to think about how she'll unravel, and a baby needs stability. It's not exactly stable now, but there is routine. I should've just agreed with Dad. I just couldn't…"

"What? Because I'm here? Don't put yourself in danger or-"

"Not because you're here. It's just getting too hard to pretend. It's great to think that someday it'll be fine and I can be whoever I want, but right now… God, I know other people have it so much worse, but it's still so shitty. I do like girls, but I think the same way about guys, so… I dunno. But doing anything about it, it just seems… Maybe I'm just not ready, but what if I never am, Levi? What if I can never show you that I…" Those green eyes lifted to him. "That I love you."

Levi stood, giving zero fucks about his nudity, and squatted down in front of his partner. "You show me that all the time, Eren, but I would wait for you until the end of time," he said, and gave the tanned forehead a kiss. "You are worth any wait."

Brunet eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was in pain. "How can you know that?"

Levi smiled. "How could I not?"

Heavy footsteps were heard thundering up the stairs. Levi shifted and sat under the desk, hidden by shadow but still close to Eren. "You're getting faster at that. Hey, did you get a little big-?" he noticed just before his father came through the door.

"Who are you taking to?" the newcomer demanded.

"Just myself," was the immediate reply. "Getting my work organized, was about to get my homework going, like you asked."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that, I-" he stopped, looking past his son's legs. "What the fuck is under your desk? Is that a fucking stuffed animal? You're too fucking old for that shit!" he snarled, pushing the brunet and the chair he was in to the floor, and, Levi, delayed in panic over the other's possible state, paused, and that pause allowed the man grab him, now snarling and swiping. "It's alive?!" the man yelled. "That's worse!"

Eren stumbled to his feet, trying to get to his partner while his father opened the window despite the winter cold.

But it was too late. Eren could only watch the man fling the closest being to him out the window, but turned immediately and ran downstairs to the outside.

The spot of black wasn't hard to find in the snow, it wasn't night just yet; there was blood sticking to his fury leg, and- God. Was that a bone?

Eren scooped him up as gently as he was able and started running, repeating in his mind, 'Please, if there's anything magic in me at all, please, help Levi.'

The cold didn't bother him, he still had his shoes on, and he just ran until he saw Levi's house, a journey he'd easily had cut in half. He wasn't feeling anything from his partner, not for most of the way, but as he burst through the door, there was a soft 'mew' from his arms.

And gratitude. So much gratitude.

"Levi," Eren breathed, holding him up. "You're okay," he realized immediately. There was still remnants of blood, but no wound- had he imagined it? Round obsidian looked back, front paws reaching out, so Eren held him close again.

"Eren." Mrs. Ackerman was looking at him, her own azure eyes concerned. "What happened?"

"M-My mom isn't allergic to cats. My dad's a dick. He th-threw L-Levi and-" He couldn't continue when the woman wrapped her arms around them both. He sniffed, letting her hold them as long as she wanted.

Once she did release them, she guided him to sit at the table with them, where the other remaining household members were having dinner as well. "It sounds like neither of you have eaten yet."

 _'Give me to Mom.'_

After a moment's pause to realize who he was hearing, Eren shifted to hand the kitten to his mother. "I, um, I think I can hear his thoughts now, and, um, he wants you to hold him."

She smiled, taking Levi from him. "Through something traumatic and he's worried about me," came the chuckle when he licked her cheek. "You're bigger, too. It sounds like you two had a busy night, so I can't say I'm surprised. Wish I had taken a picture when I had the chance."

One of Levi's front paws reached out to touch Eren's nose. _'Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault your dad's a dick.'_

"I should've warned you. Really warned you, not given you some bullshit reason to hide my fucked-up family. I just knew if I told you the truth you'd never let me go back alone."

 _'You're right. I'm still pissed you lied to me. Do it again and I'll claw your eyes out.'_

"Okay," was the reply, and after listening a moment more, reached for his partner again. "He's so-politely requested to be brought to his room so he can talk to everyone and get some clothes on," Eren explained, and, chuckling, his mother handing him back.

On the way up the stairs, he surveyed the other's leg. Just blood, a small wound. "I could've sworn a saw bone. Guess it was just some snow on you, huh?"

 _'Gratefully. The asshole knocked me out for awhile too. Should prolly check my thick skull for swelling after I switch.'_

"But is it okay to switch if there is swelling?"

 _'Should be.'_

"Levi…"

The raven head was without bumps, checked not only by Eren and Mrs. Ackerman, but Hanji as well. Erwin sniffed him over too. Levi was at the end of his patience by the time he was released; his grandmother subdued him with a plate of delicious-looking dinner.

It didn't just look delicious, it tasted delicious, and Eren was more than happy to be here instead of at his parent's. He didn't think his father would lash out at Mikasa; and his mother seemed almost willing to take the strikes she received from her husband.

That didn't seem right.

Erwin said he'd go with them in the morning to gather some of Eren's things so he could stay at the house awhile if he liked, and he very much did. The brunet had no idea if there was anything he could say to his mother that he hadn't already; he supposed he'd figure it out when he saw her.

Until then, he was more than happy to curl up with Levi in the bed they shared most nights; his partner curled against his own chest and purred him to sleep.

* * *

Eren woke to a warm tongue on his neck. Thinking it was the half-grown cat he'd fallen asleep with, he giggled, but once he'd roused completely to consciousness, he found another young man curled up against him, nuzzling their head under his own chin. "Levi?"

"Mm?" the other asked groggily, then realization set in and he pulled away. "Sorry. I'll, um, I'll go," he said, and was gone with the first pieces of clothing he could find before the other's brain could process a protest.

Levi was gone. Why was he gone? He'd looked… embarrassed. Why would he-? Eren got up; this would take too much time to figure out himself. Levi was complicated even when his own head was clear.

"Just tell me when this part's over," his quarry was sighing in the kitchen.

"It'll be over when your relationship grows up a little," Mrs. Ackerman's voice followed.

"It needs to hurry the fuck up," her son's snarl returned. "It sucks balancing needy affection with respecting set boundaries."

"Needy affection?" Eren's still-groggy tone asked, coming into the room to sit beside his partner at the table. "Is that a familiar thing or a you thing? Cause it doesn't sound like you thing."

"It's a kitten thing."

It was way too early for this. "Huh?"

"That part of me is just getting to know you, and you made quite the impression last night."

"Attempted murder usually does."

Levi's eyes became unbearably kind; Eren had to glance away. "No. You saved me last night, Eren."

"…You lick people's necks when you're grateful?"

"…I was still mostly asleep. Things get confusing. I am technically part cat, you know," he reminded his friend.

"Yeah, guess so. Sorry. But you don't have to tiptoe around me. As long as you don't climb on top of me and start mauling me, I'm okay. And I'm definitely okay with cuddling."

"That's… good to know," Levi managed, ignoring mother's adoring coos over the two of them. Luckily for her son, instead of pushing it even further she settled for bringing in breakfast and giving both their heads a kiss.

"Are Hanji and Erwin not up right now?" Eren asked, and Levi was thankful for the subject change.

"They'll be up soon, I think," Mrs. Ackerman answered. "They're not exactly the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed sort."

The two remaining household members did surface a little while later, the man as the giant cat he normally prowled about as. Apparently, he slept that way at night, but whether it was because he was more comfortable that way or felt he was more able to protect Hanji that way, Eren didn't know. "You're coming to school with me, right Levi?"

"I told you I was willing to sit in your pocket."

"No, not like that. Like you are now."

"But I don't need-"

"So what? A diploma might come in handy someday."

Suddenly, the three adult's attention turned to Levi. "You haven't told him, have you?" Hanji snickered.

"It hasn't come up," the raven head grumbled.

"It has now," Eren said. "What's going on?"

Levi took a deep breath. "I might be… almost five years older than you."

Green eyes stared at him, jaw drooping. "That… explains a lot," he finally said. "Unless you actually are some kind of genius. And I thought it was weird for an eighteen-year-old to be so… mature. I mean, it happens, but-"

"Eren," Levi laughed. "Stop. I take it that means you don't mind."

"No. But what were you doing in high school, then?"

"Looking for you. I didn't know if you'd be a student, a teacher, or a passer-by, but I knew you'd be there. Today, it is probably better I go with you as I am, and it is over halfway through our final year. I suppose I might as well. It does have the added perk of nearly all our classes together."

"Um… actually… I might be getting transferred to your gym class."

The raven head perked. "Oh?"

Eren laughed this time, their conversation long dismissed by the others engaging in their own. "Wow, look at those eyes light right up. I'm kind of a failure in gym. The guidance counselor thought I should try taking it a different time of day, I agreed, and yeah. Starting today. With… everything, I forgot to tell you our schedules are identical now."

Levi couldn't hide his happiness at the thought. "Perfect."

* * *

Once done with breakfast, the high schoolers were ready, and once Erwin had given Hanji a good-bye kiss, he loaded everyone into the beat-up car the female witch continued to cling on to. They were going to be a little late to class, but that was okay- this needed to be done, and before Eren's father got home from work.

His mother was home. She was always home. When she saw her son, she hugged him tightly- Eren was glad Levi was beside him and not in his pocket. "I'm so glad you're all right," she muttered, and he saw her flinch at the movement made.

"Did he hurt you again?"

"…Don't worry about it, Sweetie."

Her eyes were tired. "Mom-"

"I'm glad you found a place to go, and I want you to stay there, but I took vows, Eren, I can't just-"

"He took vows too," another voice said. "And wasn't there a line in there about loving and protecting each other?"

The woman's lips set in a think line at the raven head. "You must be Levi. A good name; you must not know a lot about it or-"

"I've found both 'joined in contention' or 'attached' in the original Hebrew. A biblical name, as I believe you were about to reference, an ancestor to one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites, the tribe that became the priests of Israel."

Her jaw clenched, rising to the challenge he was posing. "Ephesians 5:22- 'Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head-"

"'In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Ephesians. 5:28." Levi's reply was nearly a snarl. "Even if he is your husband, he's still abusing you and your children."

"And yet I'm still called a sinner if I divorce him."

"By hypocrites."

"I won't deny how much you've helped my son since you've popped up, but I won't be spoken to this way."

"You mean sensibly?"

"Levi, stop." Eren this time.

"If you think I'm just going to let this stupid woman keep-"

"Do not call my mother stupid!"

For a second, Eren thought Levi had turned to stone. The other man just stared at him, so motionless he didn't even seem to be breathing… and he had the most horrified expression on his face.

"Mrs. Jeager," Erwin said calmly. "I know better than anyone how Levi's mouth can run away with him, but would you mind if Eren packed whatever he'd like to bring over?"

"He should be in class," she spoke.

"And he's heading there next, I assure you."

Crying sounded from the upstairs. "Mikasa needs me. Do what you like, Eren." It was left unsaid, but he felt the insinuated 'Your father always does' that followed it, and it showed on his face.

"Don't feel guilty for keeping yourself safe," Levi muttered in his ear, apparently out of whatever trance he'd been in.

"Mom's made her choice, I get that," Eren sighed lowly as Erwin shut the door behind them. "But Mikasa…"

"There are steps we can take if needed. Come on, let's get your ass packed."

Eren let Levi lead him up to his own room, asking when they entered it, "What happened earlier? You were so still."

"You've never yelled at me before." There was no accusation in his tone, only information. "Admittedly, I got a little out of line. It still caught me by surprise. But I got over it, and I regret offending you."

"Don't worry about it. Angry little kitten."

"First off, that form is completely adolescent now, and he's gonna get venomous if you don't start getting your shit together."

"Fine, fine; I didn't know you were so religious, though."

"I'm not. I just hate it when people use holy books as excuses to be stupid. And I've had a lot of free time over the years."

"Wow. You're really good at making yourself sound older than you actually are. I can't believe I never noticed before."

"Can it and pack, you little brat."

Meanwhile, Erwin had been pushing down the hall to the nursery both to give the other two time and try to start a conversation of his own. He just hoped she would listen.

"You're wasting your breath," Mrs. Jeager warned him in the doorway, not turning to even glance him.

Good instincts. Probably would've made a decent witch herself. "Is your daughter's safety worth this?"

"He never gets mad like that unless we talk back to him. He's never touched Eren or Mikasa. It doesn't usually get as bad as last night. Eren talked back and ran off. Everything's quiet, everything's fine."

"I had a mantra like that once," Erwin told her. "Keep to yourself and obey."

"Obey?" she repeated, clearly appraising his muscular form, not able imagine him afraid for him because of any mortal being.

"Yes. Despite what you're probably thinking, defending myself physically wasn't always an option." No familiar could raise a hand to their witch, and not all potions that could be concocted were for positive use. "I won't lecture you, but do know you're not alone in this matter. I'd like to leave our number with you, so you can talk to Eren, and… anything else you might need it for."

She was still eyeing him warily, but gave a single nod.


End file.
